Increased Extractability of Irradiated Wood Meal

Black poplar wood meal was irradiated with gamma-rays and subsequcntly activated with 17.5% NaOH and fractionated with ethanol, wate r, and 5% NaOH solution. Irradiation with a dose of 100 M r ad incrcased the extractability from 16.5% to 32.5% of the starting matcrial. Whcn the matcrial was extracted with water, accton, and 5% NaOH without activation with 17.5% NaOH, 60.4% of the lignoceltulose material was isolated and the rcsidue representcd only 5.9%. Whcn the matcrial was extracted in one Step with 5% NaOH without activation, 13.6% could be extracted without Irradiation, in comparison to 67.3% with 130 Mrad irradiation. The obtaincd fractions were contaminated with dcgradcd lignin and cellulose, which affcctcd the molccular wcight of the matcrial.